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SMITHSONIAN xMISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 78 



We left T'ai-yiiaii on the 9th (fig. 132) and, traversing what is 

 geologically a loess area, arrived at Chieh-hsiu three days later. I 

 was much impressed by the extensive use of arches that is noticeable 

 from T'ai-yiian southward. It seems to be quite a peculiarity of 

 Shansi architecture. The first series I saw was along the Cheng-t'ai 

 road. All the way, in houses that were built on a grand scale, as well 

 as in the small inns, we found such arches employed. Buildings of this 

 type are known as yao-fang. Native scholars told me that they are 

 warm in winter and cool in summer, the style being derived from the 

 early cave-dwellings. At present, we still find all the transitional 



Fig. 132. — Our cart in front of a roadside temple. 



stages from the loess cave type to the most complicated yao-faiuj 

 represented in this region. 



We took advantage of the Chinese New Year to see the city 

 of Chieh-hsiu (fig. 133) and also made some measurements of the 

 natives, who seem to be quite a heterogeneous group. I saw bearded 

 men who can l)e compared with the average Armenian ; I saw also 

 men with 100 per cent yellow moustaches. One of the commonest 

 physical types found in this district is the round headed individual 

 with a long face, a disharmonious type according to physical anthro- 

 pology. Such an occurrence did not, however, surprise me at all, 

 as both dolichocephalic and brachycephalic people are found in this 

 region. A'ery likely it is the mixing of these two fundamental types 

 that has given rise to this disharmony. 



On the 15th, we started our first trip to the mountain (Mien-shan) 

 in the southwestern part of the district where some of the ancient 



